What Celestial Bodies you should watch when you First Buy a Telescope?

April 28, 2018

All the development in technology has shown us more and more celestial bodies that surround us. Some of them are worth a look as they are embodiments of natural artistry and can make you awe with a glimpse. Having said that, viewing them with the naked eye is not possible in most cases and you need the assistance of a telescope to observe the beauty and vastness of those heavenly bodies. The power of the telescope determines which of these spectacular objects can be viewed. Similarly, certain precautions are associated with it while observing dangerous objects like Sun as dedicated equipment is needed to guarantee the safety of the viewer. The following list might help you to decide which celestial bodies you must watch once you buy your first telescope.

·Moon

The first and foremost selection that anyone and everyone will have in his mind is the Moon of our Earth. The fact that it can be viewed with telescopes of all sizes adds to its viewership as astronomers of all levels can feast their eyes. All the details including shadows, craters, and ejecta plumes can be observed even with the smallest telescope. After a detailed examination of the moon, the perception will change forever and you will never look at it again in the same way. Lunar100 has a list of features that you could try to locate on the lunar surface.

·Jupiter and its Moon

Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system and it is the most likely planet to be observed through a telescope. A guide for locating it is that it is the brightest object in the Eastern sky. Despite the fact that Jupiter is 630 million kilometers away from us, it can be observed easily after magnification from a small telescope. Cloud bands that surround Jupiter can also be viewed given weather conditions are favorable at the time of observation. The four largest Jovian moons are also visible. They change their position continuously as they are rotating around the Jupiter. A few years ago, the Great Red Spot was bright enough to be viewed by any telescope but powerful equipment is needed to see that now following the dimming trend.

·Saturn

The rings of this planet can amaze you even in the images so imagine the pleasure you can get by looking at them in real. You might need a bit more powerful telescope to get a clear view as it is twice as far from the Sun as Jupiter. A small telescope will give you the view that Galileo got when he examined this celestial body for the first time. Saturn’s rings looked more like ‘ears’ and Galileo concluded that these are two moons which are pretty close to the surface of the planet. The disappearance and reappearance of these ears every two years confused Galileo but later research proved that disappearance was caused as he looked at the ring, edge on.

·Orion Nebula

This sword-shaped nebula, which is also known as M42, is located just under the belt of Orion. It can be found in southern parts of the sky and can be seen easily by a naked eye. Rapid formation of new stars is taking place in this stellar nursery that is 1340 light years away from Earth. The view of this nebula is a pure treat, even with a small telescope, as stars excite the gas molecules which emit spectral lines that are reflected by the dust particles. It homes a quadruple star known as Trapezium and many researchers have suggested that the presence of a black hole somewhere around this star.

·Albireo

It may seem as a single star with the naked eye but a telescope will show you a double star with contrasting colors. The larger of the two shines in yellow while the smaller one is blue. Albireo is the 5th brightest star in the constellation Swan. An interesting thing is that scientists are uncertain whether they are orbiting each other or not. However, they are certain that brighter star has a companion so close to it that it cannot be distinguished by a telescope. It is recommended to view Albireo out of focus as these colors are more visible when the size of star disks increase.

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